Mechanism and process for effecting reverse plating by needle deflection



Nov. 9, 3 J; LAWSON ET A1. 2,098,297

MECHANISM AND PROCESS FOR EFFECTING REVERSE PLATING BY I QEEDLE DEFLE CT ION Filed May 26, 1927 5 Sheets-Sheet l InvenioW-s: John/Lawson, Z *ZZoZaeviHLawson 9/ 5% i wa Nov. 9, 1937. J. LAWSON ET AL 2,098,297

MECHANISM AND PROCESS FOR EFFECTING REVERSE PLATING BY NEEDLE DEFLECTION Filed May 26, 1927 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 N v- 2 I J. LAWSON ET AL MECHANISM AND PROCESS FOR EFFECTING REVERSE PLATING BY NEEDLE DEFLECTION Filed May 26, 1927 v 5 sheets shef' 3 V I 4 /0 6 9 I35 7 0 8 Fig.4. /0 6. J

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. 9, J. LAWSON ET AL 2,098,297

MECHANISM AND PROCESS FOR EFFECTING REVERSE PLATING BY NEEDLE DEFLECTION Filed May 26, 1927 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 I nvenio ms Joan/Lawson Haze-FEEL awa o n- Nov. 9, 1937. v J LAWSON 5 AL 2,098,297

MECHANISM AND PHOCESS FOR EFFECTING REVERSE PLATING BY NEEDLE DEFLEC TION I Filed May 26, 1927 5 Sheets-Shed 5 III II InvenEozms: JOE/WLOJWGOW, Robewiflliawaom Patented Nov. 9 1937 MECHANISM AND PROCESS FOR EFFECT- ING REVERSE PLATING BY NEEDLE DE- FLECTION John Lawson and Robert H. Lawson, Pawtucket, R. I., assignors to Hemphill Company, Central Falls, R. I., a corporation of Massachusetts Application May 26, 1927, Serial No. 194,504

3 Claims.

This application is a continuation as to common subject-matter of the co-pending application Serial No. 145,512, filed November 1, 1926, now Patent No. 1,897,130 wherein it was stated that while the jacks are shown and described as moving special instrumentalities so as to result in reversing the position of the back and face yarns, the said jacks might be employed to give suitable in or out movement, or both, to certain needles instead of to special instrumentalities, and thus result in reversing the position of the back and the face yarns, thereby securing reverse plating.

In order that the principle of the invention may be readily understood, we have disclosed two embodiments thereof in the accompanying drawings, wherein- Fig. 1 is a plan view of the web holder bed ring and certain related parts;

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section taken through the two dial disks of a so-called diagonal striper reverse plating machine and through the sinker or web holder bed ring and showing certain or the web holders in position therein;

Fig. 3 is a detail in plan of the construction shown in Fig. 4;

Fig. 4 is a vertical section taken through a part of the needle cylinder, the sinker or web holder bed ring and the cap ring, and showing 30 certain instrumentalities or special jacks in nonfunctioning position, that is, as not deflecting the needles;

Fig. 5 is a detail in plan of the structure shown in Fig. 6;

Fig. 6 is a vertical section similar to Fig. 4 but representing an instrumentality or special jack as deflecting its needle;

Fig. 7 is a vertical transverse section similar to Fig. 4 but representing the means for driving the dial disks or members carrying the instrumentalities or special jacks;

Fig. 8 is a horizontal section of another embodiment of the invention, being taken through the needle cylinder, a dial disk and a jacquard or patterning drum by which jacks of the dial disk are selected for action upon the special instrumentalities of the knitting head; Fig. 9 is a view in vertical transverse section taken through the needle cylinder, the sinker or web holder bed ring and the cap ring and representing a special instrumentality or jack, as in non-functioning position with respect to its needle;

Fig. 10 is a view similar to Fig. 9, but representing the instrumentality or special jack in functioning position with respect to its needle; and

Fig. 11 is a side elevation of parts shown in Fi 8.

In our application hereinbefore referred to, we have disclosed means whereby the jacks move special instrumentalities in the nature of threadengaging web holders or sinkers, whereby reverse plating is effected. In the present application ably arranged in a circular knitting machine.

A needle cylinder I, which may be of the Banner or Hemphill 'type,.is herein shown as provided with needles 2, which desirably are latch needles, but which may be of any suitable type. The sinker or web holder bed ring is represented at 3, and it is provided with usual grooves 4, which, however, may if necessary be of greater width than where a single instrumentality is employed in these grooves.

In each of said grooves there is inserted for in andout or radial movement a web holder 5 desirably of usual type and which may be of the form shown in Figs. 4 and 6. Said web holders are provided with butts 6 received in an inner groove 1 of the cap ring 8. The said web holders shaped inner end ltadapted at designated or predetermined times to engage its needle 2 at or near its upper end or desirably below the pivot of the latch, so as to deflect the same inward sufiicien'tly to produce reverse plating.

It is to be understood that two yarns are fed to the needles in a plating relation, as for example, in the manner disclosed in the patent to Robert H. Lawson, No. 1,605,895, or in the reissue patent to Robert H. Lawson, No. 16,584.

i The yarns being fed in a plating relation to the needles and the instrumentalities or special jacks 9 being in their non-functioning position, normal plating results whether one of the yarns be fed under greater tension than the other as disclosed in the said reissue patent, or whether there be no particular provision for imparting'greatertension to one yarn than the other. Where, however, needles are inwardly deflected to a slight extent as, for example, about one thirtysecond of an inch at the upper end, reverse 'plat ing results.

In order to' deflect desired needles by means of the instrumentalities or special jacks 9, we provide pattern means by which the desired instrumentalities or special jacks 9 are moved into or caused to be positioned with their butts in the working groove or pathway llinstead of in the outer or non-working pathway I2. The pattern means may be and desirably is of the general type shown in the said application 145,512. It

is of such type as will permit any or every needle tohave reverse plating eifected thereon, depending, however, upon the arrangement of certain stationary jacks to be described. Desirably there isemployed a part or parts rotating with the rotating part ofthe knitting organization. Assuming for purposes of description merely that the needle cylinder is to be rotated, it is evident that such rotation may be effected in any suitable manner. It is preferable to provide teeth either upon the sinker or web holder cam ring or upon the needle cylinder, and herein'are represented teeth 14 upon a ring l5 secured as by screws it upon the sinker or web holder cam ring (see Figs. 4 and 6) extending entirely about. the same. Meshing therewith there are in the present instance provided two tootheddisks or gears, one of which is shown at I1, fast for rotating movement upon a spindle l8 received in-suitable bearings in .a manner more fully disclosed in said parent application, the number of teeth desirably being either the same'as the number .of needles in the machine, or bearing some fixed ratio thereto. As shown in Fig. 7, on the spindle l8 there is fast a collarlil by means of theset screw 20, and the toothed disk I! is provided with a hub or sleeve-like portion 2| by which .Said toothed disk is secured to the spindle l8 by set screw 22. Desirably the two toothed disks or gears (if both are employed) are of similar construction and in Fig. 2 the relative position thereof is indicated, the spindle of the other disk being indicated at l8. There are provided, as disclosed in said parent application, the two pattern disks 23, 24, with grooves 25, 26 in the upper face of an outer annular portion of the disks as clearly shown in Fig. 7 for the ready reception therein and ready removal therefrom of a series of jacks. Desirablythe jacks are inclined with respect to the centers of thedisk as stated in said parent application. Withinthe said grooves 25, 26, or such of them as arerequired for the production of theparticular pattern thatisi to be produced, there are insertedjacks 21, which in this form of the invention do not reciprocate in the said grooves, but are held in position therein by the overlying rims or annuli 28, 29, as indicated most clearly, in Figs. 2 and Z, The saidjacks 21 aredesirably of the form'shown in said parent application and need not be'inore particularly described otherwise than to state that they are provided with heads or bent ends 30, which may be and desirably are of the form shown in said application previously referred to. The said heads or bent ends 30 instead of acting upon special instrumentalities which themselves engage one or both threads in eifecting change from normal to reverse plating, act upon the special instrumentalities or jacks 9 that cause needle "deflection as already stated. It is to be understood that in this form of the invention jacks 21 may be positioned wherever desired in either or both 'of the disks or within the scope of the invention they may be otherwise supported for the purpos'eof acting upon instrumentalities or special jacks that cause needle deflection. The arrangement shown in Fig. 2 is for purpose of description or disclosure merely.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, it is to be understood that where no jacks or elements 21 are employed, the instrumentalities or special jacks 9 are left in their outer or non-functioning position, namely, with their butts in the outer groove or pathway l2. Where, however, a jack 21 is employed to engage a corresponding instrumentality or special jack 9 the head 30 thereof engages the butt H] as indicated in Fig. 2, and moves the same inward so that said butts are received in the groove or pathway il which is the working or functioning groove or pathway, as already stated. a I r Referring to Fig. 1, it will be observed that the wall or formation3| between the pathways H and I2 is of suitable cam shape so as to cause the instrumentalities or special jacks 9 which have been so moved that their butts it? are received in the groove or pathway II, to be pushed into the needle deflecting position shown in Fig. 6. For this purpose the said wall 3| is provided with an inwardly sloping formation 32 in proper relation to the knitting point so that as the needles approach the knitting point they are held deflected inwardly to a slight extent with the result that reverse plating results.

In Figs. 8 to 11 a second form of the invention is disclosed, w ich differs from that shown in Figs. 1 to ,7, in that the jacks which act upon the instrumentalities or special jacks employed to deflect the needles, are themselves adapted for lengthwise movement and are so moved by a selecting device.

In Fig. 8, one form of selecting device is indi cated at 33 as consisting of a drum, cylinder or like member in the nature of a jacquard member and carried or supported by a shaft 34 so as to turn desirably in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 8. The surface or' -the drum 33 is provided with suitable projections 35 wherever desired, and which may be of the general form and construction shown in cc-pending application Serial No. 182,060 now Patent No. 1,872,598. The said projections 35 wherever employed engage the heads or bent outer ends 36 of jacks 31 which are mounted for sliding movement in grooves 38 which may be radial or nearly radial as already disclosed with respect to the first form of this invention.

.The grooves 38 within which the jacks 31 are received are provided in a suitable disk member "generally indicated at 38 in Fig. 11, and which is supported for rotation upon a suitable spindle 39Which has a toothed disk 4% meshing with'a toothed ring or gear 4-! fast upon the sinker cam ring or other suitable part of the knitting head. Also the spindle 39 may have fast thereon a gear 42 which meshes with and drives the gear 43 fast with or upon the shaft 34 so as to rotate the same in unison with the knitting head and the disk 38.

The jacks 3! are provided with butts 44 which may be positioned either in the working or functioning groove 45 shown in Fig. 8 or in the nonworking or non-functioning groove 46. The pins or projections 35, if present, engage the heads 36 of jacks 3i and push said jacks inwardas indicated at 4'! so that their butts 44 are located in the non-working groove 46. Thus the absence of projections 35 means that the corresponding jacks 31 are left with their butts 44 in the outer or working groove 45 and being left in such position they in turn act upon the instrumentalities or special jacks 48 shown in Figs. 9 and 10, and which engage the shanks of the needles 2 as already described with respect to Figs. 1 to 7, it being understood that the stems of all the needles in both forms of the invention are slightly bent as indicated at 2 so that the needle stems may be readily deflected in effecting reverse plating.

Substantially in or directly above the working groove or pathway 45 is positioned a cam 49 which is movable up or down by suitable auto matic connections and which when down, as for heel and toe work, causes all the jacks 31 to move into the non-working groove 45. The nonworking groove 46 is preferably provided with a cam formation 56 by which all the jacks 31 are moved outwardly, so that they may be reselected for the next rotation of the knitting head. As shown most clearly at 5| in Fig. 8, the wall 52 between the grooves 45, 46 is suitably formed so as to hold a number of the jacks 31 in deflecting engagement with the needles 2 at or in vicinity to the knitting point which is substantially at 5|. The number of jacks so held in deflecting engagement with the needles at this location is shown as five, but it may be more or less as found desirable. It will be understood that in the form of the invention shown in Figs. 8 to 11, the instrumentalities or special jacks 43 may be located at the proper position or height lengthwise the needle cylinder to cause needle deflection in the proper manner for effecting reverse plating.

In this form of the invention regular web holders or sinkers, such as 5, are employed, as described with respect to the first form of the invention, but they are located each in a separate groove and without any needle deflecting instrumentality in the same groove; that is to say, in the form of our invention shown in Figs. 1 to 7 the needle deflecting.instrumentalities or special jacks are located in the sinker or web holder grooves whereas in that form of the invention shown in Figs. 8 to 11 the instrumentalities or special jacks which cause needle deflection are located in grooves or formations other than the sinker or web holder grooves, and for this purpose they are desirably located as shown in Figs. 9 and 10, beneath the web holder bed ring 3. It

will be observed that in this form of the invention the walls of the needlegrooves are cut away slightly as indicated at 54 in Figs. 9 and 10 so as to permit the instrumentalities or special jacks 48 to engage the shanks of the needles 2 by their heads and properly to deflect the same.

Havingthus described certain embodiments of mechanism for practicing our invention and the best mode known to us for carrying out the method of our invention, we desire it to be understood that although specific terms are employed, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense and not for purposes'of limitation, the scope of the invention being set forth in, the following claims.

We claim:-

In a circularknitting machine, a circular series of independent needles to which two threads are adapted to be fed in a plating relation, slotted supports, web holders operable between said needles and sliding in slots in said support, jacks each associated respectively with a web holder and slidable parallel to said web holders in slots in said support and adapted to engage the needle shanks to deflect the same at their loop forming ends, and means on the hook side of the needles for causing said jacks to deflect predetermined needle shanks sufficiently to cause a change in the plating relation of the two threads with continued feeding of both threads, to the selectively deflected needles and pattern means for acting upon said jacks.

2. In a knitting machine, a series of independent needles to which two threads are adapted to be fed in a plating relation, slotted supports, web holders operable between said needles and sliding in slots in said support, jacks each associated respectively with a web holder and slidable parallel to said web holders in slots in said support and adapted to engage the needle shanks to deflect the same at their loop forming ends, and means on the hook side of the needles for causing said jacks to deflect predetermined needle shanks sufliciently to cause a change in the plating relation of the two threads with continued feeding of both threads to the selectively deflected needles and pattern means for acting upon said jacks.

3. An independent needle knitting machine having needles independently mounted therein, in combination with jacks adapted to be selectively controlled during the knitting of courses, and means adapted, first selectively to divide the jacks into an active set and an inactive set, said means thereafter being adapted to move the active set of jacks in the direction of their length which movement is at right angles tothe length' of the needles whereby the jacks modify the movements of the needles and thereby cause variations in the knitted fabric.

JOHN LAWSON. ROBERT H. LAWSON. 

